Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith is a 35-year old private pilot from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with approximately 70 hours total time who has just begun a tailwheel course. Spurred by a lifelong interest in aviation, Nathan began flight training in 2002, but was forced to temporarily abandon the endeavor due to the demands of law school. In 2014, ten years after his last flight, he was finally able to resume his private pilot training. With the assistance of an excellent instructor, he took and passed the private pilot checkride several months later. Although a lawyer by trade, Nathan is currently building flight time and intends to complete instrument and commercial ratings. He has yet to meet a plane that he doesn’t like, but his primary interest is in tailwheel and vintage aircraft.

I’m a recently-minted private pilot with about 70 hours, and a little over 3 hours into tailwheel endorsement training. Interestingly enough, the tailwheel endorsement has been my big goal, perhaps even more so than the PPL! But there is an order to things, and these days the PPL checkride is mostly tailored to the Cessna 172.

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